I’m so disgusted by what the Trump administration is doing to families attempting to escape some of the most violent societies imaginable that I’m having a problem simply turning the TV on because it breaks my heart every time I realize MY government is sending migrant children all over the country while AT THE SAME TIME sending their parents back to the country they were/are fleeing from.  So, if you’ve had your head in the sand, that’s correct – these people attempting to get asylum in America are now back where they started their dangerous and treacherous journey to “the land of the free” AND their children are SOMEWHERE in America.  I don’t think the Trump administration is even capable of re-uniting children with their parents – but, it’s clear they could care less.  (After all, when Trump’s wife made a trip to make it look like she “cares,” she wore a coat that said, in LARGE letters “I really don’t care, do u?”)

This is all very depressing.  But, it can, and it’s likely to, get worse.  I tuned into a re-broadcast of “All In” with Chris Hayes and he started the program by interviewing a republican congressman from somewhere in North Carolina.  (The interview took away an urge I may have EVER had to visit North Carolina, but, I digress)  The conversation was regarding immigration and Hayes spent the entire interview trying to get the congressperson to respond to a question relating to the attempt by Congress to pass “immigration reform” back in 2013 when the Senate passed a bill with 68 votes, but John Boehner (my spell checker is suggesting his last name should be spelled “Boner”) refused to even put it on the floor of the House for a vote – which, clearly would have passed and, today, we would have “comprehensive immigration reform.”  The “Tea party” members of the House (including the person Hayes was interviewing), who “rule the roost” in the House were able to block the vote.  Boehner cowered in the “face” of the “Tea Party” which is now referred to as the “Freedom Caucus” – a true misnomer – for years until they finally forced him out!

So, Hayes could not get a word in “edgewise” while this congressperson (who, of course, is white) was blaming President Obama for lack of “immigration reform” (Again, he wouldn’t respond to Hayes trying to point out what had actually happened in 2013 – this is how Trump and his minions work – with NO regard to actual facts) and was throwing “dog whistles” out of both sides of his mouth with virtually every breath.  Why Hayes had him on the show was a puzzle to me – although, Hayes – to his credit, I guess – allowed this guy to throw out a barrage of racially charged LIES without any followup once he was off the show.  He gave him a platform for some really vile commentary and just shook his head because the guy was so rude.  The man was essentially acting as a bullhorn to Trump’s claims that virtually ALL these people attempting to gain asylum in America are “rapists and murderers.”  Watching it made my stomach curl and just reminded me of what “we the people” are dealing with as the November elections are approaching.

Clearly this congressperson had no compulsion about throwing out one racist “dog whistle” after another AND foisting one LIE after another on Hayes’ audience (sadly, with no rebuttal) – leaving me the impression he is in one of those so-called “safe seats.”  This tells me there’s a significant portion of North Carolina who supports someone as vile as this guy and clarifies, at least in my mind, there really is an ideological divide in America.  I find someone with this guy’s views to be “deplorable” in the words of Hillary Clinton.  (And, despite the fact I voted for Mrs. Clinton, it was a vote AGAINST Trump – I, personally, would have much preferred Bernie – but, at this time, that seems irrelevant)

Then today, as I was checking the Daily Kos “Recommended” email in my “inbox,” I read about a “Christian commentator,” Leigh Valentine, who was quoted as such:  “Valentine said that she spoke with a high-level border patrol agent recently who allegedly told her that the people who are crossing the border illegally are the dregs of society.

“Rape after rape after rape,” Valentine said. “Children below 10 years old engaging in sexual activity. All kinds of sin and disgrace and darkness; the pit of the pits. So we’re not getting the top-of-the-line echelon people coming over this border, we’re getting criminals. I mean, total criminals that are so debased and their minds are just gone. They’re unclean, they’re murderers, they’re treacherous, they’re God-haters.”  This is some of the CRAP that is “out there” and there are too many (I want to say unsuspecting) Americans, who don’t fact check ANYTHING and they end up believing this stuff.  This lady, who apparently has a “Christian” TV show along with her “ilk,” is the reason Trump gets away with pushing for a “wall” as “immigration reform.” ( a so-called wall Mexico definitely is NOT going to pay for – I keep waiting for someone in out “liberal media” to ask Sarah Sanders, it the “daily briefing,” “who’s going to pay for the ‘wall’?”)

Not that it matters, but reports are that MOST of the asylum seekers are devout Catholics or Evangelical Christians.  Reports are border patrol agents, when they arrest people, are confiscating their rosaries and throwing them in the trash.  How do I know this?  Well, a former janitor for ICE (he quit, out of conscience) saw what was being confiscated and thrown away and pulled, among other things, many rosaries out of the trash – took pictures of them – and, published the pictures online.  Yikes!

Speaking of “immigration reform” – supposedly, there’s some kind of bill pending in the House – which the “freedom caucus” is likely to block next week because it’s not draconian enough – Trump “tweeted” yesterday for republicans in Congress to “not waste their time” passing it and to wait for the “red wave” he sees coming in November.  Trump apparently believes by TEARING children from their parents (and, I believe that will continue in a couple weeks, His executive order, in my mind, was just a ploy to “turn down the heat” temporarily) that he will be gaining votes in the mid term election.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Trump, along with Stephen Miller and his other close advisers, believes this policy is what “we the people” want.  That tells me Trump actually believes America is a willing place for his FASCIST autocratic rule.  Using his own words, “we’ll see what happens.”

I’ve been pointing out the parallels to Trump and Nazi Germany for at least two years – this is something our “liberal media” is very hesitant to do – it will likely have to be in “hindsight” before they point out the reality of what is happening with this “deplorable” person.  From the campaign slogan, to the supporters giving him the “heil” salute during the campaign (Only once that I saw, because the “press” from all those right arms in the air while pledging “loyalty” was not good – for those who noticed.  I’d love to see someone in the “liberal media” pull video of that one up again and show “we the people” what’s really going on here), to the attacks on the “free press,” to the attacks on the “independent” Justice Department, to the more and more less “covert” and MORE “overt” racism, to the full implementation of the “Big Lie Theory,” and, now to the putting people Trump refers to as “vile” immigrants who are “infesting” our country into what amount to internment camps.  Migrant children are being “housed” in tents in 100+ degree weather.  Nursing babies have been taken from their mothers and moved to “who knows where.”  This is FASCISM clear and simple!

And, trust me, Trump is the true autocratic thinking bully.  If you, again, have your head in the sand, you don’t know that Trump managed FIVE deferments back in the days of Viet Nam to dodge serving when Americans were dying by the thousands (not to mention all the South and North Vietnamese).  Trust me (again) – this was not because he’s a conscientious objector.  It’s because his “tough” persona is as phony as virtually everything that comes from his mouth.  Trump is where he is because he had a racist father who managed to leave him a small fortune (similar to the Koch Brothers, who are going to spend half a BILLION dollars in an attempt to make Trump’s prediction of a “red wave” a reality.  Trump’s father marched with the KKK in New York “back in the day”) and the idea of “serving” has never crossed his mind.  Trump and his family are “cutting off a fat hog” via his ascendancy to the “White House” and his bullying won’t stop until “we the people” force him out of office.  Obviously, he’s got republicans in Congress afraid to act – or they’ll get the nasty “tweet” and their political careers will be over.  You have to give Trump credit, the republican party is scared to death of him!

Because I still have faith in the majority of Americans, I believe these republicans are making the exact WRONG calculation as they “kneel” to Trump.  Virtually EVERYONE who gets involved with Trump comes out on the other side “soiled.”  Yes, apparently there are places where members of Congress can get on TV and do what the guy from North Carolina did today and fear no reprisal (obviously, I don’t know his name – nor, do I care to look it up) but, I’m not so sure, for example, about the member of the republican caucus in the House from where I live – AND in MANY places around the country.  I’m guessing she/they are bit nervous about the next election.  And, for me to consider voting for her, she would have to do EXACTLY what they’re all afraid of – and, that’s to come out and repudiate Trump.  I can’t recall ONE republican who’s not “retiring” (or in the case of John McCain dealing with Brain Cancer) who has the guts to stand up to Trump.  I believe Trump will be the “mechanism” that destroys the republican party.  My hope is he doesn’t completely destroy “America first.”

One last thing.  As I’ve watched the Mueller investigation playing out, and now the investigation into Trump’s “fixer” Michael Cohen I have to believe Trump may be looking at the possibility of sharing a room with Paul Manafort at some point in the future.  For one thing, there will be no “deal” to make with Mueller or the Southern District of New York – from what I can tell.  And, it appears Trump is going to be facing reality from both directions in the next few months – so, losing his majority in the election may end up being the least of his worries.  I’ve said this many times here, it appears to me Trump was operating a mafia type organized crime family business prior to walking down that escalator and claiming Mexicans are “rapists and murderers.”

There’s likely to be much interest in the way Trump has gone about getting money, transferring money, etc.  If you get my drift, I’m guessing, at a minimum, Trump has put some money, at various times, through the washing machine (laundering the money, get it? :o)  I always had to tell my students when I was telling a joke.)  And, that’s not going to go over very well with Mr. Mueller OR the investigators in New York.  And, that says nothing about the campaign finance violations, the possibility of threats to people like Stormy Daniels (AKA Stephanie Clifford), and who knows how many shaky deals that are going to be uncovered – especially, if Michael Cohen “flips.”  And, that’s not even considering the possibilities as to how deep the “Russia thing” will end up going – how much Mueller will actually “uncover.”  (no pun intended)  Remember, when Don jr., Jared Kushner, and Manafort met with the several Russians offering “incriminating information” from the Kremlin on Hillary Clinton, that was COLLUSION – often referred to as TREASON!  And, I believe when all is said and done, matters will be much worse.  As I’ve said, keep your “eye” on Cambridge Analytica and coordination with Russia.  I have a sneaky feeling Kushner and Steve Bannon were working with the Russians to help them target their FAKE NEWS during the 2016 campaign.  That was the REAL fake news!